Wall construction and building block



' R -Fz GREENE WALL cousmucnon AND auxwne BLOCK Filed June 25, 1926 fizz/12725310? Robert H -Greene,

Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES ROBERT F. GREENE, OF WABAN, MASSACHUSETTS.

WALL CQNSTRUCTION AND BUILDING BLOCK.

Application 111m rune 25, 1926. serial No. 118,512.

This invention relates to wall constructions and to blocks therefor, and more par-' readily. However, when it is attempted to provide awall of low cost and of relatively thin dimensions, as in the case where it is desirable to avoid wasting valuable space,

considerable difficulty is encountered in securing adequate strength, stifl'ness of constructlon, thermal insulating properties, prevention of moisture seepage, ease of assembly, simplicity of design of the unit block,

and other desirable features.

One object of the present invention is to overcome the above difficulties and to attain the above advantages, and to rovide a wall and a block of low cost, simp e and rugged construction havin adequate strength and stiffness to supportlieavy loads.

Another object is to provide a wall construction and a block of minimum weight and requiring a minimum amount of material in its construction for accomplishing the above advantages.

Another object is to provide a building block through which and along one side of which extend unconnected air spaces so proportioned and arranged that the block pos- 40 sesses a maximum load sustaining strength and stiffness in view of the amount of material used in the block, and inview'of the thermal insulating and other advantageous features of the block.

In accordance with the present invention, a wall is constructed with a brick or other facing and a backing consisting of blocks interlocking with the facing and having horizontally disposed air spaces extending through the blocks, other horizontal air spaces, parallel therewith, being provided for interruptin the mortar seams between the bearing si es of the blocks and at the inner ends of those portions of the facing which interlock with the blocks. A reenforcing web extending between the bearing sides cent bonding courses, it bein of'each block is so arranged in relation with the air spaces between the blocks and in relation to those portions of the facing which interlock with the blocks that a direct line of support is provided between the top and bottom of the wall, the websprovidln a line of support directly. between themse ves andat the same time providin a direct line of support in cooperation with the inner ends of those portions of the facing which interlock therewith. v

In another aspect, the invention provides a building block of very simple and rugged construction having afiat bearing side and an offset bearing side. The block is preferably of hollow L-shape and contains a reenforcing web between the thick and thin portions of the block. An air channel is provided in one of the bearing sides of the block, and is preferably so located and made of such size as to render the thick and the thin portions of the block more nearly equal in cross sectional area, whereby the thermal insulating effect of the air spaces is made more uniform. The channel may be made by truncating the inner corner of the'thicker rectangular portion of the L-block, a channel of particularly strong and eflicient construction being thus provided, the reenforcing web of the block forming one side of the channel. The web is preferably located in alignment with the inner marginal wall of the vertical portion of the .L and is thickened in the direction of the horizontal portion of the L to provide a direct line of support for the inner end of the brick or other block whiclr may be supported over the thin portion of the block.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be understood more clearly in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall, and

Fig. 2-is an end elevation of a modification of the L-block shown in Fi 1.

Referring to the drawing, t e wall construction in Fig. 1 shows a brick or other facin 1 containing the bonding courses 2 interloc ring with the backing blocks 3 of the hollow tile type or other suitable form, the bonding courses being located between a plurality of ordinary courses 4. A series of five ordinary courses are shown between adjaassumed that the construction may be exten ed upwards in the manner illustrated with bonding courses provided at regular intervals separated by 5 courses of ordinary bricks. It is to be understood, however, that any suitable odd number of ordinary courses may be provided between the bonding courses in conjunction with backing blocks of suitable dimensions.

All the backing blocks are alike, each block having a flat horizontal bearing side 5 and a parallel offset bearing side 6, the portion 7 being offset from the portion 8 by an amount corresponding, preferably, to one half the height of one of the courses of brick, or by an amount sufiicient to permit the bonding blocks to interlock with the backing blocks at one of the offset sides. Each block has a vertical reenforcing web 9, normal to and directly connecting the bearing sides 5 and 6, the blocks being so positioned in the wall that the webs are in alignment with each other for providing a. vertical line of support directly through the wall.

It is to be noted that web 9 is in alignment with the inner marginal wall 10 of the vertical portion of the L and is thickened at 11 in the direction toward the horizontal portion of the L whereby a direct line of support is provided by means of webs 9 and the inner ends 12 of bonding courses 2. It is to be understood, however, that for some purposes where the portion 7 supports only a light load, web 9 and its extension 10 may be of the same thickness, as shown in Fig. 2. The air spaces 13 and 14 of substantially rectangular cross section, extending horizontally through blocks 3. and separated from each other by web 9 provide a cellular confitruction for hermally insulating the we An air channel 15 of V-shape cross section is provided in the fiat bearing side 5 of each block and extends parallel to air spaces 13 and 14, being preferably formed by truncating the inner corner of the thicker portion of the L-block, that is, the larger rectangular ortion 14; of the block. Channel 15 1s pref rably of such a size as to render the two portions more nearly equal in cross sectional area so that each portion is substantially equally effective in providing ther mal insulation, owing to the approximately equal size of air spaces 13 and 14. At the same time channel 15 is of sufficient size to function as a se arate air space supplementing the effect 0 spaces 13 and 14 and materially reducing the transmission of heat along the bearing sides of the blocks in a direction transverse to the wall. Furthermore, channels 15 efficiently serve to retard possesses a maximum strength for the amount of material required, the design of the channel beingsuch that a channel of given cross sectional area requires a minimum amount of material.

The brick facing 1 is'preferably mortared to the backing blocks throughout the seam between the bricks and blocks, except at the inner ends 12 of the bonding bricks which are spaced slightly from the corresponding 7 faces of the blocks, the mortar being interrupted at the inner ends of the bonding bricks .and ateach of the channels 15. There is thus provided a horizontal air space interrupting each mortar scam without interfen ing appreciably with the function of the mortar in binding the facing. to the backing and in providing a firm coherent wall. It is to be noted that two blocks sufiice to span the space between adjacent bonding courses $5 and that each pair of adjacent blocks is so disposed that the homologous bearing sides of the blocks meet at any given seam.

The form and arrangement of air spaces is such that the wall provides efficient thermal insulation and effectively resists the seepage of moisture therethrough, the blocks being simple to manufacture and adapted for rapid and easy assembly owing to their simple construction and arrangement in the wall. Both the wall and the block have a maximum strength and stiffness for the amount of material employed therein, and' accordingly have a minimum bulk and weight for the functions performed. Fur- 1 thermore, the simplicity of the construction of the wall and of the block is such that the cost of manufacture and assembly is reduced to a minimum for the advantages obtained.

I claim:

1. A hollow building block having a flat bearing side and an offset bearing side par allel therewith and parallel with the hollow space inthe block, a web normal to said no bearing sides and-directly connecting therewith. said web dividing the hollow s )ace in the block into parallel air spaces, an an air channel located in said flat bearing side parallel with said air spaces, said channel consisting of two walls disposed at an angle with respect to each other to form a V, said Web serving as one of said walls, said other "wall directly connecting said flat bearing side at one edge of said channel with said web at the bottom of said channel.

'2. A hollow building block having a flat bearing side and an offset bearing side parallel therewith and parallel with the hollow space in the block, a web normal to said bearing sides and directly connecting therewith, said web dividing the hollow space in the block into parallel air spaces, the section of the block containing one ofsaid air spaces being thicker than the section containing the other of said s aces, and an air channel 10- one edge of said channel with said web at cated in said at bearing side parallel with the bottom of said channel, said channel besaid air spaces, said channel consisting of ing located on the same side of said web. as W two walls disposed at an angle with respect said thicker section of the block.

6 to each other to form a V, said web serv- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe ing as one of said walls, said other Wall dimy name, this 8th day of June 1926.

rectly connecting said flat bearing side at ROBERT F. GREENE. 

